Regional mates gather for Kakadu VI

By LCDR Andrew Stackpool

Surrounded by officers from ten other countries MCAUSTRADMRaydon Gates (third from the left) with COMFLOTCDREMatt Tripovitch, prepares to open Kakadu VI. Photo by LCDRAndrew Stackpool

HMAS Ships Arunta and Warramunga alongside Darwin’s Fort Hill wharf preparing for the fray.

Nearly 2000 sailors and airmen from five nations have completed Kakadu VI, an important Australian-hosted regional defence exercise.

Starting in 1993, the exercise is held every two years.

The exercise, which was opened by MCAUST, RADM Raydon Gates, took place in the waters of the North Australia Exercise Area off Darwin between Monday July 21 and Friday August 1.

Australia’s participation comprised the submarine HMAS Waller, HMA Ships Warramunga, Arunta, Canberra, Westralia, Success, Whyalla and Gawler, some six Hawk lead-in fighters from the RAAF’s No 79 SQN, P3-C Orions from 92 Wing and the RAAF’s 114 MCRU.

New Zealand deployed two more Orions, while from the Republic of Singapore came the corvettes RSS Victory and Vengeance, from PNG the Pacific patrol boats HMPNG Ships Tarangau and Basilisk, and from ALPACI in Noumea the French frigate Floreal.

Exercise Control was based at HQNORCOM.

Also supporting the exercise were the Defence Support Agencies, providing:

• four to six GAT 36 Learjets as strike simulation aircraft (including missile profile simulation),
• a Lear 35 EW Training Aircraft, and
• port services in Darwin port.
  
  In addition to the active participants observers were also welcomed from India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. During the exercise “orange” and “blue” forces opposed each other in anti-air, anti-surface and anti submarine warfare scenarios. As an idea of the exercise tempo, during the first phase Waller alone was involved in some 17 separate serials.

.